Roof joint



April 26, 1932. L. E. RUEHLMANN ROOF JOINT Filed June 18, 1929 IN VENTOR.

A TTOR NE Y.

Patent ed Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE i ITOUIS E.RUEHI-HAIN'N, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR '1'0 EDWARD G. BUDD MANU-FACTURING- CO, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01 PENN-SYLVANIA.

ROOF JOINT Application filed June 18, 1929. Serial"1I'o.37l,7&.

My invention relates to vehicle joint constructions and moreparticularly to impr ovements in the joint formed between a vehicle roofand the supporting header therefor such 8 as extends along the sides,front or back of a vehicle, these roof supporting headers being commonlymade of sheetmetal.

The present'practice is to construct vehicle roofs in the form of awooden framing to suitably strengthened by a wire netting secured to theupper surface thereof, the roof structure being completed by coveringthe netting with a paddin and by applying a suitable weather proof abricover the padded I15 surface of the roof. This type of roof is popularand in more or less general use not only because it is relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, but also because it is sufliciently light inweight and soundproof as respects direct and induced noises. Myinvention has as one of its principal objectives the production of amuch more perfect joint between the vehicle roof and its metalsupporting headers than has been possible heretofore. Other objects 35are to produce a joint which is neat in appearance, which is more thanadequately strong, and which is thoroughly leakpr oof.

According to my invention I form the metal roof su porting" header witha depression 1n 30 its r? sup orting margin constituting a rabbet, and gthen downwardly flange the inner marginal edge of the rabbet. The frameof the roof I depend within the downwardly flanged portion of the headerwith spaced relation with respect to said flanged ortion. The roof issupported in position y an outwardly projecting overlap in the shape ofa metal flange which latter is adapted to rest upon-the roof supportingmargin of the header. This metal flange or overlap is covered by aweatherproof covering which is extended. outwardly to the edge of theoverlap, thence inwardly along its under surface for securement to theframe in the corner between its main body and the overlap, the coveringbeing then carried downwardly along the outside'of the frame and underthe frame where it is again secured in place. The rabbet and the spaceafiorded between the perimetral. edge of the frame disposed in theproximate perimetral edges of the frameand supporting header jointlyconstitute a recess of substantially angular form which I fill withcement-like or plastic material adapted to subsequently harden. As theroof structure is positioned upon its supporting header this cement-likematerial is caused to completely fill the angular recess andin so doingserves to effectually seal and weatherproof the joint between roofstructure and its supporting header. Other advantages of my inventionwill be apparent upon presenta tion of a more complete mental picture ofthe structure.

Such a picture is presented in the drawings, of which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a corner of a roof form of securing meansbetween the header and the roof frame.

is the header. It is of the sheet metal construction and its completecross section in most of the usual practices would be areshaped as itrecedes from the roof. This is suggested in Figs. 3 and 4 more markedlythan in Fig. 2. Its roof supporting margin 11 is downwardly depressed asat 12 to form a rabbet at the margin. Thence it is flanged dovfinwardlyas at 13 and finally inwardly as at The roof per se, is comprised of awooden frame of perimetral members 15 and at times suitable cross pieces(not shown). This frame is braced by an overlying wire netting 16secured by staples to its members. Overlying the netting 16 is a padding17 and overlying the padding a weather proof covering 18. v a.

The perimetral frame members 15 are dependent from the top of thevehiclewithin and spaced from the flange 13 of the supporting margin of theheader 10, as clearly laps 19 in the form of metal strips secured to thetops of the frame members 15. These strips overlie the rabbets 12 andbear upon the immediately joining portions of the supporting margin 11.The covering 18 is carried over the outer edges 20 of these overlapsthence inwardly along their under sides, and is glued to the undersidesand then nailed as at 21 in the corner between the under sides and theframe members 15. Thence it is carried downwardly along the side of theframe 15 opposite the marginal portion 13 and under the frame memberswhere it is again hailed as at 22. This arrangement of the fabric is, ofcourse, all done during the fabrication of the roof per se comprisingthe frame, its coverings and the overlap 19.

Within the angular space formed by the rabbet 12 and the space betweenthe depending frame 15 and the depending marginal portion 13 iscement-like material 23 contacting with-all the adjacent parts in itscorresponding angularly shaped mass and cementing and sealing theadjacent surfaces together in weather proof relation. In assembly beforethe roof structure per se comprised of parts 15 to 22, is placed uponthe header 10 in supporting relation, the cement-like material 23 is putinto the rabbet 12 and along depending margin 13, and then the roofstructure per se is lowered into place in such maning a main bodydisposed within said header with the perimetal edges thereof in spacedrelation with respect to the downwardly directed flange of the header,and a cementlike filler adapted to be pressed into the space between theproximate surfaces of said header and roof structure when the latter ispositioned within the former.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

. LOUIS E. RUEHLMANN.

ner that the underlying portions of the fabric 18 which overlie therabbet 12 and are juxtaposed to the marginal flange 13, bear down uponthe cement-like material, and forces it into all parts of the space andinto intimate relation to the adjacent surfaces. As the overlap 19 isborne down upon the adjoining portion of the margin ll upon which itisseated. As the cement-like material hardens,

the support from margin 11 is augmented through bolts 24 between themarginal flange through the cement-like material and the directlyinter-engaged outer portion of the overlap and margin 11.

Fig. 3 shows the manner of clamping the parts in place by horizontallyarranged 13 and the frame member 15, while Fig. 4. shows such securementby means of vertical- 1y extending screws 25 between the horizontallyextending flange 14 and the frame members 15. In this case the coveringsof the frame are omitted, but it is to be understood that they may ormay not be included as in the instance of Fig. 1. The covering 18 mayindeed, instead of being carried beneath the overlap 19, be carriedbeyond it and over the outer surface of the header, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 3. This latter practice is preferred by somebuilders.

Doubtless there are other modifications of prehended in the annexedclaims.

